People at some level have this intrinsic desire to be understood and belong and feel  like they belong with the people around them.

Any skill or attribute you claim makes you unique—”I’m really funny”, “I’m good at shining shoes”, “I’m an attentive lover”—you can always find someone else better than you on that dimension. They’re funnier, fitter, richer, sexier, smarter, or better at shining shoes than you are. We can’t help but desperately compete in this unwinnable game of ha... See more

Authenticity is doing and saying what feels right to you in all moments. You have no judgement of yourself. You don’t overthink, perform, or strategize to get people to receive you in a specific way. You understand that your real tribe will stay, and the rest will fall away.

the depth of a conversation depends on how deeply seen you feel, not on the topic of conversation

“Our connection with other people is only as solid and deep as our connection to ourselves. In order for me to be connected to you, I have to know who I am. I have to be connected to myself. And I think what we end up doing is we end up desperately searching for connection with other people, when we have no idea who we are!”

– Brené Brown

This inability to be vulnerable by being our real, uneven selves creates distance inside us, and between us and others. But we long to be known, not just for our wins or talents or the good we do in the world, not just for how we overcome hardship, but for our pain and struggle while we are suffering, for our failures and shortcomings. We want to b

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